Gold Phoenix (IRE)

Gold Phoenix, an Irish-bred Belardo gelding, won his debut on an all-weather track in Ireland in February 2021 and was then sent to the U.S. and trainer Phil D’Amato. He lost his stateside debut in January 2022 by a half-length at Santa Anita Park and finished second again in a race on Santa Anita Park’s downhill turf course in March but broke through with his first U.S. win in a one-mile allowance-optional claiming race on April 2 at Santa Anita. He then made his stakes debut in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes and rallied to finish third by 1 ¾ lengths.

The gelding finished second and third in his next two races at Santa Anita and Del Mar. Finally, he put it all together at a most opportune time, rallying six wide to just get up at the finish and defeat Master Piece by a head to win the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap Presented by Japan Racing Association on Sept. 3 at Del Mar. Gold Phoenix earned a “Win and You’re In” berth to the 2022 Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf with the victory.

Subsequently in his next outing in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 5 at Keeneland, Gold Phoenix settled for a 10th-place finish.

Gold Phoenix came back to begin his 5-year-old campaign on March 4, 2023, at Santa Anita in the Grade 1 $500,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile. Racing at the shorter-than-usual distance for him, Gold Phoenix was sent off at 10-1 odds on the tote board in a field of eight and ran much of the race in the back half of a compact field. He then kicked into gear as the field turned for home and came with a strong late surge in deep stretch to get the lead. He then held off a last-second bid by Du Jour to win by a neck in a time of 1:34.45 over a turf course labeled good.

The gelding finished fourth and seventh in his next two stakes tries in spring 2023, both at Santa Anita Park. On July 30, Gold Phoenix resurfaced at Del Mar for the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes, and with red-hot jockey Hector Berrios in the irons, he tallied his third career graded stakes win by three-quarters of a length.

Gold Phoenix returned to Del Mar for his next start on Sept. 2 and won the Grade 2 $300,000 Del Mar Handicap for the second straight year. Racing near the back of an 11-horse field after breaking from post 10, Gold Phoenix moved into contention on the turn and blew past the field en route to a 1 1/4-length win in a 1 3/8 miles winning time of 2:15.34 over firm turf. The Del Mar Handicap was a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “win and you're in” qualifying race for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf to be held on Nov. 4, 2023, at Santa Anita. Subsequently in the Breeders' Cup Turf, Gold Phoenix finished a respectable fourth.

Gold Phoenix was back in the winners' circle again as a 6-year-old the following spring when victorious in the Grade 2 Charles Wittingham Stakes May 4, 2024, at Santa Anita.

Gold Phoenix returned to Del Mar for the summer of 2024 and after finishing an unfortunate seventh when buried in traffic in the stretch in the Grade 2 Eddie Read on July 28, Gold Phoenix was at it again to do what he does best when winning the Grade 2 $300,000 Del Mar Handicap for the third straight year. Sent off this time as the 2.40-1 favorite in a six-horse field in the Del Mar Handicap presented by the Japan Racing Association, Gold Phoenix got a cleaner stalking trip and accelerated in the stretch to get up in time for the win by a neck. The Del Mar Handicap was a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "win and you're in" race, and with his win, Gold Phoenix earned a berth in the 2024 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, which will be run back at Del Mar on Nov. 2.

Gold Phoenix returned for his 7-year-old season in 2025 and was pointed for an attempt at a fourth straight victory in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap presented by the Japan Racing Association going 1 3/8 miles on the Del Mar turf on Aug. 30. It wasn't easy. but Gold Phoenix came through and delivered his fourth consecutive win in the race, scoring a game neck decision atop a nine-horse field. The Del Mar Handicap was a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" qualifying race, and with his victory Gold Phoenix earned another automatic berth into the 2025 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf.

The gelding remained in top form in his final Breeders' Cup prep race of the 2025 season with a victory in the Grade 2 $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship Stakes going 1 1/4 miles on the Santa Anita turf on Sept. 27. Gold Phoenix rallied from last in a seven-horse field to comfortably get up in time for the 1 1/4-length decision over Stay Hot in a final time of 1:58.74 in the race that started on the downhill portion of Santa Anita's turf course.

Gold Phoenix took to the track again as an 8-year-old in 2026 and became a stakes winner once again with a victory in the Grade 3 $100,000 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita on March 21, 2026. He was unplaced in a Grade 1 when shipping to Churchill Downs, but once back in California returned to winning form, taking the $100,000 Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes June 14 at Santa Anita by five lengths as the 2-5 favorite. After that, Gold Phoenix entered the history books by winning the Eddie Read Stakes for the second time in his career July 26, in the process setting a new mark for a horse with six career stakes victories at Del Mar. He prevailed by a nose over Cabo Spirit in the Eddie Read, with odds-on favorite Formidable Man a head back in third.

Gold Phoenix is out of the winning Mizzen Mast mare Magnifica, who is a full sister to Hong Kong Group 1 winner Sea Defense and to dual Grade 2 winner Jibboom.